This isn’t some stuffy essay (er…blog) about How I Spent My Christmas Vacation, on the contrary, it will be a very honest account of how many times I went up and down Fifth Ave in NYC, looking at all the Christmas window displays! Let’s not forget how many times I stared at Rockefeller Plaza, gawking at the ice skaters, amazed at the Christmas Tree. Never mind all the lights on the tree, but all the tourists whose smiles were brighter than the season itself. Spectacular. The break-dancers amazed, and were extra sweet, hugging me when I joyfully shouted, “Merry Christmas from New York”!

I couldn’t get enough, I was like….well a kid at Christmas!

St Patrick’s Cathedral captured my heart as well, with as many visits as possible, and visiting the famous crèche, albeit, the Baby Jesus was in its cradle Christmas Day (not before). I visited every Saint, and marveled at all the prayer candles lit by the faithful, and the curious; then there was the Virgin of Guadalupe brimming with so many flowers, that the mere aroma intoxicated the alter with at least a thousand fragrance. The special chapel devoted to Miraculous Mary, allows no pictures, and is almost silent with reverence when the Rosary is not taking place. Every one had a special request at this church, a Cathedral, but my presence was only to say one thing.

Thank You for letting me see another Christmas, and Holiday Season, in the craziest, most dynamic, diversified, beautiful city that I called home for most of my life! Gratitude. Total respect. Organic? Yes, organic. The reason I shout out about organic was a trip to the hospital, after finding out that I had renal failure; not one kidney failed, but two (of course NYers have to go all the way)!

No one knows how my disease came about, except that stress is a killer, and at times silently catching up to all our hard work, and efforts. So, I say to you that seeing NYC at Christmas was as marvelous, as being given a second chance at life, especially to shout out about organics, everything that you eat, drink, and stress out about.

Of course, I was with many helpful friends this past year (what I call my recovery year); people came out of no where, as though guided by my very Angels to speak to me, and teach me about my best approach to health. If you didn’t know, kidney disease doesn’t just go away, it’s something that hangs around to remind you of your new limitations. Eventually, if you get the right doses of rest, relax, and more, you will start to feel better; and those whopping episodes of fatigue will in themselves, perhaps become a memory of the past.

My Doctors, who I owe so many thanks, an incredible team that will always be in my heart (I hope to inspire them about meditating, and the values of organics), and who are still part of my well care health regimen. I learned so much from those guys, and what a humble bunch they are!

Whether I was at Bryant Park, Brooklyn, my old college, having a reunion with my BFF from high school, at every single moment I was at a very special place, called gratitude.